Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and customer brand engagement (CBE): Do they really go hand-in-hand?

Positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is critical for ensuring brand engagement. Customer brand engagement (CBE) leads to eWOM creating a conjointed phenomenon. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis by taking both these phenomena together. A meta-systematic review (systematic review of review papers) was also conducted, covering both domains to refine the findings. The findings highlight that though the literature on eWOM and CBE as separate topics has grown significantly in the last few decades, there are fewer insights into the integrative perspective of these two major marketing concepts. The online social networking phenomenon for generating eWOM and the human interface still dominates the technological touchpoint for creating brand engagement. The study provides publication trends, most influencer authors and popular institutions, and themes in the domain besides mapping the eWOM and CBE intellectual structure. The study also elaborates on the future scope of research for practitioners and scholars working in this domain.